Display attachment for doors.



v B. MoULUNG. DISPLAY ATTACHMENT FOR DOORS. APPLICATION TILED AUG. 6, 1913.

1,096,444. Patented May 12, 1914.

HOSPFTHL ON CRsE 3mm E MORY M CLUIg COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH (YO-,WASIIINUTON, D. c.

EMORY McCLUNG, OF CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

DISPLAY ATTACHMENT FOR DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 6, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914. Serial No. 783,357.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMORY MOCLUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at (Jlarksburg, in the county of Harrison and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display rtttachments for Doors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful Improvements in display attachments for doors and has for its object to provide a device of this character which will indicate whether or not an occupant of a particular room or house is in or out and if out just where said occupant may be located.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient and useful in operation.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device showing the same applied. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device itself enlarged. Fig. 3 is a vertical section therethrough. 4 is an outside elevation of the upper hinged plate used on the device; and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are inside elevations of the various lower hinged plates used in connection with the device to indicate where the occupant of a particular o'liice or room is located.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawing in which similar reference haracters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which 1 indicates a swinging door and 2 the door jamb of preferably an office room or the like.

My invention primarily contemplates the provision of a device for application to the door which will indicate to persons desiring to enter-,whether or not the person occupying the room or suite, of which this is the door, is within or not. To this end, I provide a base plate 3 which is secured to the outer face of the door, adjacent its free edge and hinged to the face of said base plate 3, adjacent the upper edge of the latter, is a plate section 4. Printed on one face of this plate section 4, is the word in and printed or otherwise inscribed on the other face thereof, is the word out. lVhen this plate section 4 is in its normal or lowermost position, resting flatly against the base plate 3, the word in thereon is disclosed and when said plate section 4 is raised to disclose the opposite face of the plate, the word out is disclosed.

Secured to the door jamb to project over the doorway is a leaf spring member 5 which is disposed in the path of the swinging plate section 4. When the door is closed and the plate section 4 is swung on its pivot upwardly, said plate section will ride past the leaf spring arm 5 and said section will be held in its raised position against the door 1, by said spring member From the above description of the construction of my device, it will be seen that the plate section 4 is provided to indicate whether or not the occupant of the inclosure, of which the door 1 is a closure, is within or not. I have also provided a means for indicating where the occupant is located when not within the inclosure and to this end, a plurality of plate sections 6 are provided and hinged in position on the base plate 3, adjacent the lower end thereof. The inner face of each of said plates has printed or otherwise inscribed thereon such words as would indicate where the occupant of the room or inclosure is in the habit of going, when leaving said room or inclosure, i. 6., of city; at hospital; at home, etc. WVhen these plates 6 are raised, it will be seen that the inscriptions thereon will be disclosed to the observer without and I have provided. a means for holding these plates in their raised and operative positions. To this. a plate-like latch member 7 is pivotally mounted on the base plate 3, above the plate 6, the one end 8 of which is adapted to receive the plates 6 thereunder, while the opposite end thereof is bent outwardly, as shown at 9 and adapted to receive in contact therewith the free end of the plate-like section 4 when the latter is lowered. Thus, when the plate section 4 is lowered into contact with the one end of the latch member 7,

the latter is swung on its pivot to release its engagement with the raised'plate or plates 6, so that the latter may also be lowered.

In practice, when the occupant of a particular room desires to retain his door in its closed position, and at the same time desires to indicate to those outside that he is within, this device is applied and the plate section et thereof allowed to fall to its lowered position. hen such is done, the word in on the outer face of said plate section 4 will be disclosed and the plate sections 6 will be disposed to their lowered positions, so that the blank face of the outer plate section thereof will be disclosed. This will. indicate to those on the outside that the occupant of the room is within. When the occupant makes his exit from the room,- and desiresto indicate to those on the outside that he is not in, the plate section 4- is raised after the door has been closed and forced past the leaf spring arm 5, to be held in its raised position between the outer face of the door and said leaf spring. The word out will thus be indicated. One of the plates 6, or any number of the same, as the case may be, are then raised to indicate the particular location, where the occupant may be found and said plate or plates are held in their raised position under the pivoted latch member '7. When the occupant of the room returns and opens the door 1 inwardly, it will be seen that the plate section 4 will. fall by means of gravity, to its lowermost position and in so descending, will contact with force upon the end 9 of said latch member and swing the latter on its pivot. In so doing, the plate or plates 6 are released and are permitted to descend to their lowered positions. This operation of the device, therefore, is automatic with the opening of the door, to indicate that the occupant has returned.

From the foregoingdescription of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof will be readily understood and it will be seen that I have provided a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very eflicient and useful in operation.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with an object having an open ing therein and a swinging closure therefor; of a plate hinged on the outer face of said closure adjacent the swinging end thereof and provided with inscriptions on the faces of the same. and a leaf spring secured to the object adjacent the opening therein and projecting beyond one side of the latter, where ,y to engage said hinged plate and retain the latter in its raised position when the swinging closure is disposed. to its closed position.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a stationary object, and a swinging object carried thereon; of a base plate secured to said swinging object, ad.- jacent its swinging end, a hinged plate carried on said base plate and having inscriptions on both faces thereof, means for retaining said hinged plate in its raised position upon the disposition of the swinging object in a predetermined position with respect to the stationary object, a plurality of additional hinged plates carried on the base plate below the aforesaid plate, said latter hinged plates also having inscriptions on the inner faces thereof, and means carried on the base plate for retaining the last mentioned hinged plates in their raised positions, said latter means being disposed in the. swinging path of the first mentioned plate, whereby when the latter is dropped to its lowered position, said means will be moved to its ineffective position.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a stationary object, and a swinging object carried thereon; of a base plate secured to said swinging object, adjacent its swinging end, a plurality of plates hinged together on said base plate and having inscriptions on the inner faces thereof, whereby when said plates are raised, the inscriptions may be observed, a pivoted retaining member carried on the base plate adapted to engage and retain said plates in their raised positions, and means for moving said retaining member to its ineflective position upon the disposition of the swinging object in a predetermined position with respect to the stationary object.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EMORY HGCLUNG.

Witnesses OKEY BLAND, J. IRA LEESON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

